Don't lie.  It hurts to be at work today.  It hurts to celebrate your independence, we know.

Particularly if you danced all weekend at Governor's Island for the Dance.Here.Now.  

So here's to the weekend party.   Grab some of the hair of the dog that bit you.  (That never hurts, especially at lunch time.)

If you feel good today, here's to what you missed.

Friday night premiered "the tent," a construction that domed over the concrete, much like a smaller version of last weekend's tent at Vegas's Motor Speedway for Electric Daisy Carnival.

 The black interior provided the perfect surface for AG's lights to do their magic, flashing and blaring the crowd as though they were in a kaleidoscope. The lights also reflected off a giant, hollow octagon stationed between the DJ and visual screen, creating a unique cage-like effect. And, while very few party-goers wore red, white and blue, there was no shortage of glow-in-the dark orange painted onto hands that pumped 150 beats per minute into the air.

As the sun disappeared behind the crowd into New Jersey, Paul Van Dyk lit up the tent with tantilizing vocals and played classic tracks beloved by fans, such as "Time of Our Lives" and "Firewire."  Described by the security staff as the "mellow" day, Friday's sunset gave way into a tranquil evening made for trance, (if 125 bpm can be considered tranquil).

Sunday's show of Laidback Luke, Benny Benassi and the Japanese PopStars packed the beach to full capacity with 5,500 people.  Apparently another 1,500 were left waiting on shore, some even with tickets. With sounds that cross genres into house, electro, rock, and even hip hop, the popularity of these artists brought out the masses even on a muggy afternoon.

On Monday, douchbaggery was in full effect as the line stretched nearly 100 yards down South Street. Red, white and blue reigned supreme for conscious outfit choices.  A brief survey taken during the hour wait on line revealed the following within an 8-foot radius:

• Treble clef tattoos:  7
• Bass clef tattoos:  0
• Pairs of high heels that would soon be changed to flip flops:  4
• Bongo Drums: 3
• Water bottles filled with water: 1
• Water bottles with something else besides water: 3
• Men's bedazzled shirts: 12
• Celebrities: 0
• People who count themselves as celebrities: 24

Once on the island, three days of partying taught some lessons: barracks were placed in front of the side bars to prevent overcrowding.  Signs hung directing patrons where to stand and pay.  Toilet paper rolls were draped on lines over the stalls, and the once air-conditioned bathroom trailers were now officially, "ghetto!" as one blonde screamed.  Police presence noticeably increased, (perhaps for the holiday or as a result of Victor fans' notoriety for unruliness), and some authoritative men in white linen shirts yelled obscenely at the bartenders to check 21-age wristbands.

It was a long wait to hear international star Nicole Moudaber, as local DJ Nicolas Matar of Cielo opened the day with a three hour, nondescript set.  When Nicole finally came on, she came on hard with heavy techno, answering the crowds' cries to moved.  Much to everyone's surprise, Danny Tenaglia, one of Moudaber's biggest fan, ran on stage to show his support, fueling the crowd even more.  Although she played only about an hour, Moudaber teased New York City to invite her back sometime very soon.

At 9 PM, Victor came on to a very warmed-up crowd, chanting his name.  Mixing in signature vocal tracks like "I'm Flying" and "Believe in Me," Victor demonstrated yet again why he's one of the biggest names in the New York dance scene.  With that hard tribal-tech bassline, the crowd was reluctant to leave, even as the line for the ferry grew and thoughts of work tomorrow (for some) loomed overhead.  

With an amazing turn-out, a successful party with little need for police or EMT interference, we can safely say that next year Dance.Here.Now may need a bigger venue.